BullyingAmong

Children&Youth
[WORDSHURTthe
HEART]
[BILLJ.BOND
NASSP
PrincipalforSafeSchools]

(c)2005TakeaStand.LendaHand.
StopBullyingNow!

OverviewoftheWorkshop
Whatisknownaboutthenatureand
prevalenceofbullying?
Whybeconcernedaboutbullying?
Howareschoolsaddressingbullying?
Whatworksanddoesntworkinbullying
preventionandintervention?
HRSAsNationalBullyingPrevention
Campaign

Bullying
Isaggressivebehaviorthatintendstocause
harmordistress.
HUMILIATION
Usuallyisrepeatedovertime.
Occursinarelationshipwherethereisan
imbalanceofpowerorstrength.

DirectBullying
Hitting,kicking,shoving,spitting
Taunting,teasing,racialslurs,verbal
harassment
Threatening,obscenegestures

IndirectBullying
Gettinganotherpersontobullysomeone
foryou
Spreadingrumors
Deliberatelyexcludingsomeonefroma
grouporactivity
Cyberbullying

Howcommonisbullying?
Nanseletal.(2001):nationalsampleof15,600
studentsingrades610
19%bulliedotherssometimesormoreoften
9%bulliedothersweekly
17%werebulliedsometimesormoreoften
8%werebulliedweekly
6%reportedbullyingandbeingbullied
sometimesormoreoften

GenderDifferencesinBullying
Moststudiesfindthatboysbullymorethando
girls
Boysreportbeingbulliedbyboys;girlsreport
beingbulliedbyboysandgirls
Boysaremorelikelythangirlstobephysically
bulliedbytheirpeers
Girlsaremorelikelytobebulliedthroughrumor
spreading,sexualcomments,socialexclusion

ConditionsSurroundingBullying
Childrenusuallyarebulliedbyonechildor
asmallgroup
Commonlocations:playground,classroom,
lunchroom,halls,bathrooms
Bullyingismorecommonatschoolthanon
thewayto/fromschool

ChildrenWhoBullyare
MoreLikelyto:

Getintofrequentfights
Beinjuredinafight
Steal,vandalizeproperty
Drinkalcohol
Smoke
Betruant,dropoutofschool
Reportpooreracademicachievement
Perceiveanegativeclimateatschool
Carryaweapon

LongitudinalStudyofChildren
whoBullied(Olweus,1993)
60%ofboyswhowerebulliesinmiddle
schoolhadatleastoneconvictionbyage
24.
40%hadthreeormoreconvictions.
Bullieswere4timesaslikelyaspeersto
havemultipleconvictions.

Childrenwhoarebulliedhave:
Lowerselfesteem
Higherratesofdepression
Higherabsenteeismrates
Moresuicidalideation

HealthConsequencesofBullying
(Fekkesetal.,2003)
Bullied
Notbullied
Headache
16% 6%
Sleepproblems
42%
Abdominalpain
17%
Feelingtense 20% 9%
Anxiety
28% 10%
Feelingunhappy
23%
Depressionscale
moderateindication
strongindication 16%

23%
9%

5%
49%
2%

16%

CommonCharacteristicsof
Bully/Victims
Hyperactive,havedifficultyconcentrating
Quicktempered,trytofightbackif
provoked
Maybebulliedbymanychildren
Trytobullyyounger,weakerchildren

ConcernAboutBully/Victims
Displaythesocialemotionalproblemsof
victimizedchildrenANDthebehavioralproblems
ofchildrenwhobully(Nanseletal.,2003)
Poorrelationshipswithclassmates
Lonely
Pooreracademicachievement
Higherratesofsmokingandalcoholuse
Morefrequentfighting

ConcernAboutBully/Victims
(cont.)

PeerRatings
Whodochildrenmostwanttoavoid?
bully/victims
TeacherRatings
Whoisleastpopular?bully/victims
Whohasthemostconductproblems?
bully/victims
Whoisseenasthemostdisengagedfrom
school?bully/victims

SafeSchoolInitiativeReport

(2002)
USSecretServiceandUSDept.ofEducation
Studied37incidentsoftargetedschoolviolence,
involving41attackers(19742000)
3/4ofattackersfeltpersecuted,bulliedpriorto
theincident
1/3ofattackerscharacterizedasloners
1/4socializedwithstudentswhoweredisliked
bymostmainstreamstudents
Manyhadconsideredsuicide

ReportingofBullyingtoSchool
Staff

Manydonotreportbeingbullied.
Olderchildrenandboysarelesslikelyto
reportvictimization.
Whydontchildrenreport?
2/3ofvictimsfeltthatstaffresponded
poorly
6%believedthatstaffrespondedvery
well.(Hooveretal.,1992)

AdultsResponsivenessto
Bullying
Adultsoverestimatetheireffectivenessin
identifyingbullyingandintervening.
Manychildrenquestionthecommitmentof
teachersandadministratorstostoppingbullying
35%believedteacherswereinterestedin
stoppingbullying
25%believedadministratorswereinterestedin
stoppingbullying(Harrisetal.,2002).

KidsWhoObserve
Whatdoyouusuallydowhenyouseea
studentbeingbullied?
38%

Nothing,becauseits
noneofmybusiness

27%

Idontdoanything,but
IthinkIshouldhelp

35%

Itrytohelphimorher

WhatAreSchoolsDoingTo
AddressBullying?

Awarenessraisingefforts
Reporting,tracking
Zerotolerance(studentexclusion)
Socialskillstrainingforvictimsofbullying
Individual&grouptreatmentforchildrenwho
bully/childrenwhoarebullied
Mediation,conflictresolutionprograms
Curricularapproachestobullyingprevention
Comprehensiveapproaches

CommonMisdirectionsin
BullyingPreventionandIntervention
Zerotolerance(studentexclusion)
ConflictResolution/PeerMediation
Grouptreatmentforchildrenwhobully
Simple,shorttermsolutions

Whatworksinbullying
prevention?
Whatisrequiredtoreducebullyingin
schoolsisnothinglessthanachangeinthe
schoolclimateandinnormsforbehavior.
Thisrequiresacomprehensive,schoolwide
effortinvolvingtheentireschool
community

www.StopBullyingNow.hrsa.gov

CampaignGoals
Raiseawarenessaboutbullying
Preventandreducebullyingbehaviors
Identifyappropriateinterventionsfor
tweensandothertargetaudiences
Fosterandenhancelinkagesamongpartners

ResourcesUsedforthe
CampaignsDevelopment
Reviewofexistingresearchonbullying
Focusgroups&indepthinterviewswith
tweens,teens,adults
InputfromYouthExpertPanel
InputfromSteeringCommitteeof
PartnerOrganizations

CampaignPartners
Over60public,notforprofitgroups,&government
agencies
Representfieldsof:
Education,health,mentalhealth,lawenforcement,
youthdevelopment,faithbasedcommunities
Responsibilities:
AdviseCampaignsdevelopment
ProvidefeedbackonCampaignproducts
DisseminateCampaignsresults

CampaignsLaunch

TV,Radio,andPrintPublic
ServiceAnnouncementsforTweens

PSAs
For
Adults

InteractiveWebsite

www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov
AnimatedSerialComic
Games,pollsfortweens
Advicefortweens
ResourceKitforadults
Linkstopartnergroupsandactivities

AnimatedSerialComic
Twelve2minuteepisodes
Entertainingcastof
characters
Modelpositivebehaviors
Interactive

ResourceKit
Morethan20tipsheets/factsheets
Databaseofexistingbullyingpreventionresources
Bullyingpreventionprograms
Books,videos,otherresources
Availableontheweb(stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov)
orinhardcopyviaHRSAHelpline(1888ASK
HRSA)

CommunicationsKit
Providesbullyingpreventioncommunication
materialstobeusedbylocalcommunities
Components:
PSAsforradioandTV
PrintPSAs
Posters

BullyingPreventionPosters

CampaignBrochure

NationalTeleconference

90minuteteleconferenceheldinthespringof2004.
www.mchcom.com

SponsoredbytheHealthResources&ServicesAdministrationandthe
U.S.DepartmentofEducation,OfficeofSafe&DrugFreeSchools

Participantsdiscussedthenatureofbullyingandeffectivebullying
preventionandinterventionstrategies.

Included68minutevideoworkshopsfor
Educators
Healthprofessionals
Mentalhealthprofessionals
Youthorganizations
Lawenforcementofficials